Mt Prospect in North Potomac

[Anonymous]

And to think there were folks on here saying how this community was overpriced and wouldn’t sell 🤣

[Anonymous]

Interest rates are at an all time low + covid. I bet Phase II won't sell as quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interest rates are at an all time low + covid. I bet Phase II won't sell as quickly.

Keep dreaming lol ... I have 2 friends begging to buy even at higher prices now and they cannot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above...1.3m is high to begin with even if Wootton...especially for starting price with the school uncertainty. Not sure what they are thinking. If schools change like everyone anticipates, the initial buyers will be screwed with resale.
I live in the area and everyone I talk to agrees that the uncertainty is not worth the base price assuming 10-20% added for upgrades. Who’s going to buy a 1.3M house without upgrades?? I’m going to wait it out now

Agree! For $1.3 M one can live INSIDE the beltway with access to excellent schools as well!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above...1.3m is high to begin with even if Wootton...especially for starting price with the school uncertainty. Not sure what they are thinking. If schools change like everyone anticipates, the initial buyers will be screwed with resale.
I live in the area and everyone I talk to agrees that the uncertainty is not worth the base price assuming 10-20% added for upgrades. Who’s going to buy a 1.3M house without upgrades?? I’m going to wait it out now

Agree! For $1.3 M one can live INSIDE the beltway with access to excellent schools as well!

Agree somewhat although I am not as fazed by possible school rezoning.

At 1.3m, it's a tough sell. I've toured the homes and a few thoughts...

- construction quality is questionable considering you can feel the floors sink a bit since the floor joists are more spread apart (I toured the orchard and hamlet). That's a pet peeve of mine.
- For some models (Hamlet), you don't even get a yard and are forced to get a suboptimal outdoor living space for $40-50k. Lots of hamlets share a garage!
- for gourmet kitchen options ($15-20k), I'm surprised by what you get (how little)
- They added custom options to the models which are not available from TB. I think that's a bit dishonest. IMO, models should show everything you CAN get from the home - not dangle a carrot that you figure out on your own how you're going to get it.

I really wanted to love these homes but for 1.2-1.5, I was disappointed. If they were in the 0.9/1.0 range, I would jump on them especially because of the neighborhood.

Anyhow, for those going for it, they are nice homes and the neighborhood is great - I was expecting/hoping for more, though.

[Anonymous]

Poster from above ^^

One thing I forgot to add - IMO, if you're willing to spend 1.3/1.5, I'd spring for the windmill. It has the most bang for buck (basing that on the floorplans and view form the outside - did not see the inside).

[Anonymous]

The gourmet kitchen option I thought was well worth it...the individual appliance prices are close to 40k when totaled up. That said, it’s overpriced JennAir, but even online, the fridge and stove were 10k each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above...1.3m is high to begin with even if Wootton...especially for starting price with the school uncertainty. Not sure what they are thinking. If schools change like everyone anticipates, the initial buyers will be screwed with resale.
I live in the area and everyone I talk to agrees that the uncertainty is not worth the base price assuming 10-20% added for upgrades. Who’s going to buy a 1.3M house without upgrades?? I’m going to wait it out now

Agree! For $1.3 M one can live INSIDE the beltway with access to excellent schools as well!

Agree somewhat although I am not as fazed by possible school rezoning.

At 1.3m, it's a tough sell. I've toured the homes and a few thoughts...

- construction quality is questionable considering you can feel the floors sink a bit since the floor joists are more spread apart (I toured the orchard and hamlet). That's a pet peeve of mine.
- For some models (Hamlet), you don't even get a yard and are forced to get a suboptimal outdoor living space for $40-50k. Lots of hamlets share a garage!
- for gourmet kitchen options ($15-20k), I'm surprised by what you get (how little)
- They added custom options to the models which are not available from TB. I think that's a bit dishonest. IMO, models should show everything you CAN get from the home - not dangle a carrot that you figure out on your own how you're going to get it.

I really wanted to love these homes but for 1.2-1.5, I was disappointed. If they were in the 0.9/1.0 range, I would jump on them especially because of the neighborhood.

Anyhow, for those going for it, they are nice homes and the neighborhood is great - I was expecting/hoping for more, though.

Am really curious to know why not buy a house nearby in the neighborhood and upgrade accordingly? What are the pros and cons? It seems like this area has many great houses that could be updated to reach 1.3M. You could get more land and a pool as well. I looked on Redfin and saw a few homes recently sold with a pool for ~1.3M within the vicinity of this neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above...1.3m is high to begin with even if Wootton...especially for starting price with the school uncertainty. Not sure what they are thinking. If schools change like everyone anticipates, the initial buyers will be screwed with resale.
I live in the area and everyone I talk to agrees that the uncertainty is not worth the base price assuming 10-20% added for upgrades. Who’s going to buy a 1.3M house without upgrades?? I’m going to wait it out now

Agree! For $1.3 M one can live INSIDE the beltway with access to excellent schools as well!

Agree somewhat although I am not as fazed by possible school rezoning.

At 1.3m, it's a tough sell. I've toured the homes and a few thoughts...

- construction quality is questionable considering you can feel the floors sink a bit since the floor joists are more spread apart (I toured the orchard and hamlet). That's a pet peeve of mine.
- For some models (Hamlet), you don't even get a yard and are forced to get a suboptimal outdoor living space for $40-50k. Lots of hamlets share a garage!
- for gourmet kitchen options ($15-20k), I'm surprised by what you get (how little)
- They added custom options to the models which are not available from TB. I think that's a bit dishonest. IMO, models should show everything you CAN get from the home - not dangle a carrot that you figure out on your own how you're going to get it.

I really wanted to love these homes but for 1.2-1.5, I was disappointed. If they were in the 0.9/1.0 range, I would jump on them especially because of the neighborhood.

Anyhow, for those going for it, they are nice homes and the neighborhood is great - I was expecting/hoping for more, though.

Am really curious to know why not buy a house nearby in the neighborhood and upgrade accordingly? What are the pros and cons? It seems like this area has many great houses that could be updated to reach 1.3M. You could get more land and a pool as well. I looked on Redfin and saw a few homes recently sold with a pool for ~1.3M within the vicinity of this neighborhood.

I think the problem is that there's not a ton of inventory in that area for 1.3m. Seem to either have 700k types or 2m+ types. But generally, I agree.

My guess as to why this MP is in high demand is:

- there's not a lot of new construction neighborhoods in this area
- the neighborhood will be quite nice (lots of green space, highly walkable, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above...1.3m is high to begin with even if Wootton...especially for starting price with the school uncertainty. Not sure what they are thinking. If schools change like everyone anticipates, the initial buyers will be screwed with resale.
I live in the area and everyone I talk to agrees that the uncertainty is not worth the base price assuming 10-20% added for upgrades. Who’s going to buy a 1.3M house without upgrades?? I’m going to wait it out now

Agree! For $1.3 M one can live INSIDE the beltway with access to excellent schools as well!

Agree somewhat although I am not as fazed by possible school rezoning.

At 1.3m, it's a tough sell. I've toured the homes and a few thoughts...

- construction quality is questionable considering you can feel the floors sink a bit since the floor joists are more spread apart (I toured the orchard and hamlet). That's a pet peeve of mine.
- For some models (Hamlet), you don't even get a yard and are forced to get a suboptimal outdoor living space for $40-50k. Lots of hamlets share a garage!
- for gourmet kitchen options ($15-20k), I'm surprised by what you get (how little)
- They added custom options to the models which are not available from TB. I think that's a bit dishonest. IMO, models should show everything you CAN get from the home - not dangle a carrot that you figure out on your own how you're going to get it.

I really wanted to love these homes but for 1.2-1.5, I was disappointed. If they were in the 0.9/1.0 range, I would jump on them especially because of the neighborhood.

Anyhow, for those going for it, they are nice homes and the neighborhood is great - I was expecting/hoping for more, though.

Am really curious to know why not buy a house nearby in the neighborhood and upgrade accordingly? What are the pros and cons? It seems like this area has many great houses that could be updated to reach 1.3M. You could get more land and a pool as well. I looked on Redfin and saw a few homes recently sold with a pool for ~1.3M within the vicinity of this neighborhood.

I think the problem is that there's not a ton of inventory in that area for 1.3m. Seem to either have 700k types or 2m+ types. But generally, I agree.

My guess as to why this MP is in high demand is:

- there's not a lot of new construction neighborhoods in this area
- the neighborhood will be quite nice (lots of green space, highly walkable, etc).

Yep. I think it's also bc there's not a lot in this price range that is newer and move-in ready. A lot of people don't want to deal with renovations if they can just buy new and pick out what they want.

[Anonymous]

Purchasing a new construction certainly has its pros and cons and a decision to do so is relative to that person/family's circumstance. The folks who are fairly negative on this thread tend to focus in on one specific issue (school, price, location, etc.). I think when people buy homes whether its $100k or $2 mil, they are making a decision that is best for them taking all into account. For example, not everyone wants to live within the beltway as many people in this part of the county work upcounty or Frederick or want access better access to the ICC (or work from home). As far as schools, the neighborhood is currently zoned for Wooten but all schools are subject to some change, at a minimum, in the long run. Making a home purchase based only off of the school in a county like this (where there is an ongoing talk of re-districting) is risky. If you know you want and like the schools district for this neighborhood, you can probably feel comfortable in having a few years of visibility with it. Also, not everyone has the time or manpower or inclination to get an older home and spend years and money to renovate it to the point that its right for them. The final total may end up being very close to what this neighborhood offers and new construction can all be wrapped into a mortgage versus cash out for post-sale renovations. That being said, buying new construction certainly has its limitations too. This neighborhood has a high price point and buyers have no crystal ball as to whether the neighborhood will appreciate or ultimately feel (this is certainly a risk for early buyers). Additionally, you are at the mercy, to some degree, of the builder, its pricing changes and delay of delivery. The homes in this neighborhood don't all have great lots; however, no one is forced to buy a lot or home here and if something fits your needs and wishes, then have at it! And, there are certainly risks in being the early buyers as you have to deal with construction after moving in, the builder learns from your homes as to architectural and land issues that may only appear once building begins, etc. Again, its all relative and every prospective buyer's analysis (pros v cons, risks v gains, etc.) will differ and, naturally, folks buying at this price point will conduct that analysis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Purchasing a new construction certainly has its pros and cons and a decision to do so is relative to that person/family's circumstance. The folks who are fairly negative on this thread tend to focus in on one specific issue (school, price, location, etc.). I think when people buy homes whether its $100k or $2 mil, they are making a decision that is best for them taking all into account. For example, not everyone wants to live within the beltway as many people in this part of the county work upcounty or Frederick or want access better access to the ICC (or work from home). As far as schools, the neighborhood is currently zoned for Wooten but all schools are subject to some change, at a minimum, in the long run. Making a home purchase based only off of the school in a county like this (where there is an ongoing talk of re-districting) is risky. If you know you want and like the schools district for this neighborhood, you can probably feel comfortable in having a few years of visibility with it. Also, not everyone has the time or manpower or inclination to get an older home and spend years and money to renovate it to the point that its right for them. The final total may end up being very close to what this neighborhood offers and new construction can all be wrapped into a mortgage versus cash out for post-sale renovations. That being said, buying new construction certainly has its limitations too. This neighborhood has a high price point and buyers have no crystal ball as to whether the neighborhood will appreciate or ultimately feel (this is certainly a risk for early buyers). Additionally, you are at the mercy, to some degree, of the builder, its pricing changes and delay of delivery. The homes in this neighborhood don't all have great lots; however, no one is forced to buy a lot or home here and if something fits your needs and wishes, then have at it! And, there are certainly risks in being the early buyers as you have to deal with construction after moving in, the builder learns from your homes as to architectural and land issues that may only appear once building begins, etc. Again, its all relative and every prospective buyer's analysis (pros v cons, risks v gains, etc.) will differ and, naturally, folks buying at this price point will conduct that analysis.

You make good points. TBH, I think for most of the folks that buy these homes - they couldn't care less about the possible rezoning. It's a nice area and the prices are pretty much the going rate for newish type of homes in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purchasing a new construction certainly has its pros and cons and a decision to do so is relative to that person/family's circumstance. The folks who are fairly negative on this thread tend to focus in on one specific issue (school, price, location, etc.). I think when people buy homes whether its $100k or $2 mil, they are making a decision that is best for them taking all into account. For example, not everyone wants to live within the beltway as many people in this part of the county work upcounty or Frederick or want access better access to the ICC (or work from home). As far as schools, the neighborhood is currently zoned for Wooten but all schools are subject to some change, at a minimum, in the long run. Making a home purchase based only off of the school in a county like this (where there is an ongoing talk of re-districting) is risky. If you know you want and like the schools district for this neighborhood, you can probably feel comfortable in having a few years of visibility with it. Also, not everyone has the time or manpower or inclination to get an older home and spend years and money to renovate it to the point that its right for them. The final total may end up being very close to what this neighborhood offers and new construction can all be wrapped into a mortgage versus cash out for post-sale renovations. That being said, buying new construction certainly has its limitations too. This neighborhood has a high price point and buyers have no crystal ball as to whether the neighborhood will appreciate or ultimately feel (this is certainly a risk for early buyers). Additionally, you are at the mercy, to some degree, of the builder, its pricing changes and delay of delivery. The homes in this neighborhood don't all have great lots; however, no one is forced to buy a lot or home here and if something fits your needs and wishes, then have at it! And, there are certainly risks in being the early buyers as you have to deal with construction after moving in, the builder learns from your homes as to architectural and land issues that may only appear once building begins, etc. Again, its all relative and every prospective buyer's analysis (pros v cons, risks v gains, etc.) will differ and, naturally, folks buying at this price point will conduct that analysis.

You make good points. TBH, I think for most of the folks that buy these homes - they couldn't care less about the possible rezoning. It's a nice area and the prices are pretty much the going rate for newish type of homes in the area.

+1 for the most part, though wouldn't go so far to say couldn't care less about rezoning. We were deciding between Mt. Prospect and another TB community in HoCo (though disclaimer, went other one).

We targeted Howard County and Montgomery County because the schools are generally strong in both counties even with the ever-present threat of redistricting--a threat that, of course, exists whether or not you buy new. Wanted a new build because we knew we didn't want to fix something up AND as long as we have room for a patio for grilling and lounging, didn't care at all about lot size. Also loved the idea of being able to pick out at least some of our finishes, ect. When it came to location, we both have very stable careers with flexibility to work from home a good deal so for us as soon we decided to leave the District (which was a mental battle!!) there was no draw to staying within the beltway so further out was a-OK for us.

Could have bought for a fair amount cheaper in either the MoCo or HoCo areas we were looking in if we had gone with an existing home--but every open house we went to, we discussed all we'd want to change. Buying new gave us a mental break from that for at least a few years while focusing on other long-term spending goals.

[raptor2364]

Anonymous wrote:
- They added custom options to the models which are not available from TB. I think that's a bit dishonest. IMO, models should show everything you CAN get from the home - not dangle a carrot that you figure out on your own how you're going to get it.

What custom options do these models have?

[Anonymous]

raptor2364 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
- They added custom options to the models which are not available from TB. I think that's a bit dishonest. IMO, models should show everything you CAN get from the home - not dangle a carrot that you figure out on your own how you're going to get it.

What custom options do these models have?

They’re likely talking about accent wall paneling, etc. In addition to a lot of the outdoor features they heap on outside of their base “outdoor living” package.

Models will also sometimes put in custom lighting you can’t purchase through the design center.